Beef Jerky

Alton Brown

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005

Show: Good EatsEpisode: Urban Preservation II: The Jerky

Picture of Beef Jerky Recipe 2 Videos | Photo: Beef Jerky Recipe
Rated 5 stars out of 5
  • Rate This Recipe
  • Read 140 Reviews
Total Time:
20 hr 20 min
Prep
20 min
Inactive
8 hr 0 min
Cook
12 hr 0 min
Yield:
10 to 12 ounces
Level:
Difficult
x

Save To My Recipe Box

Please limit to 20 characters

Saving Recipe

Adding Recipe

Or Do Not Add

Success

This recipe was saved to your Folder_Name folder.

x

Save To My Recipe Box

Please sign in to save this recipe to your Recipe Box!!

25 Characters Max

Enter Time:

:
:

You can create up to five timers

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak
  • 2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 2/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Special Equipment: 1 box fan, 4 paper air-conditioning filters, and 2 bungee cords

Directions

Trim the flank steak of any excess fat, place in a zip-top bag, and place it in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours in order to firm up.

Remove the steak from the freezer and thinly slice the meat with the grain, into long strips.

Place the strips of meat along with all of the remaining ingredients into a large, 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag and move around to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Place the bag into the refrigerator for 3 to 6 hours.

Remove the meat from the brine and pat dry. Evenly distribute the strips of meat onto 3 of the air filters, laying them in the grooves and then stacking the filters on top of one another. Top these with 1 empty filter. Next, lay the box fan on its side and lay the filters on top of it. Strap the filters to the fan with 2 bungee cords. Stand the fan upright, plug in and set to medium. Allow the meat dry for 8 to 12 hours. If using a commercial dehydrator, follow the manufacturer's directions.

Once dry, store in a cool dry place, in an airtight container for 2 to 3 months.

Print Recipe

Wine Suggestion for This Recipe

Merlot

Merlot

Jammy, earthy red wine

Wine 101: Quick Video Tips

How about wine with dinner? Top-searched recipes now include pairing suggestions for making any meal special.

COMMENT ON THIS PROJECT

    

Sign in

All fields are required.

E-mail Address:

Password:

Remember me on this computer

Signing in

Please enter your email address and we will send your password

E-mail Address

Your password has been sent and should arrive in your mailbox very soon.

Not a member?

Sign up for My Food Network to share photos, show off your style, and connect to an enthusiastic and helpful community.

It's free and easy.

Review This Recipe

You must be signed in to review this recipe.

Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 140 reviews

  • on January 25, 2012

    Flag

    Really great recipe and very easy to do. I used the fan method, set to high instead of medium though, and it turned out wonderful and I would definitely do it again. I'm not sure why everyone is complaining about furnace filters being expensive because they're not. They're not the dollar like Alton said but they are two dollars or less a piece and if you buy them in the packs of three, you can get good deals ( I live in Hawaii so everything here can be expensive because of importing so If I can find them for cheap here then you can find them cheap where you are too. I used Alton's exact recipe this time but it's very adaptable to your taste, so feel free to experiment with the flavors. Also, I recommend getting the leanest piece of flank you can find or trim it very well. Another excellent recipe from Alton, no surprise there.

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No
  • on January 13, 2012

    Flag

    Loved the flavor, I added extra red pepper flakes for more heat. I also used a dehydrator and let it dehydrate for about 10 hours rotating the trays about every hour. All the jerky was gone pretty much in a couple days. Everyone loved it. Definitely keeping this and making this more often. Way better than the stuff you buy in stores.

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No
  • on January 07, 2012

    Flag

    This s the standard recipe we use to crank out a lot of beef jerky. To reduce the carbs we substitute Splenda for the honey. We do use a box dehydrator instead of the fan.

    Simply Excellent!!

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

Next Recipe

Homemade Beef Jerky

Homemade Beef Jerky

By: Emeril Lagasse
Rated 5 stars out of 5
Advertisement

See More Recipes Like This From Food.com

Free Recipe of the Day Newsletter

Let Food Network chefs plan what's for dinner, with quick and easy recipes delivered to your inbox daily.

Ads by Google